Why might your cell phone not work while traveling in Europe?

Wireless phones in Europe

The European mobile phone system is based on the GSM standard. In the US, there are the DAMPS (which is rapidly going the way of the do-do if it hasn't done so already), GSM, and CDMA standards. The US GSM system operates on a different frequency range that the European version, so an American phone is useless in Europe, even if it is a GSM phone. Forget about taking a CDMA phone to Europe.

There are other standards throughout the world. Japan uses JCDMA, which is basically the same as the CDMA used in the Americas, but at a different frequency range. There are also parts of the world where phones operate in the 450 MHz range, while the others operate at 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, or 1900 MHz.

The mobile industry is currently developing phones and software to make phones capable of operation on multiple system ytpes, and at multiple frequency ranges. There are also other standards being developed, most notably WCDMA which will offer high-speed data transfer.

There are many new things being developed and offered, seemingly at an accelerating pace!

Tips:

• It depends on your service provider and the make/model phone you have. Europe runs on a completely different type of network than the US. Most service providers offer service in Europe but you have to have them activate it and an additional fee is usually involved along with per minute usage charges. From experience I know Verizon Wireless does not offer any service in Europe but if you're a Verizon Wireless customer you can rent a phone from them that will work there. In most cases you can get details from your providers website or call customer service.

• If you travel from the US to Europe regularly on business and want to keep the same number, either get a satellite phone or let your provider know you need equipment compatible with the European network -- but you'll pay significantly more for service, all the time. If you only travel to Europe occasionally, get a separate phone there. Just make sure you specify which countries you will be visiting -- some pay as you go phones only work in a single country.

• I thought your phone has to be set up for international roaming,you have to ask your phone-net provider, if I travel from Australia to Europe I organize that through Telstra our phone net provider.

• You may find that the best way to use a cell phone in Europe is to buy a cheap pay-as-you-go one when you get there. In Great Britain you can buy one for as little as 30 GBP in a supermarket.

I don't disagree with any of the first answer, but as a European going to the USA I can buy a tri-band phone, which works on the US GSM network. So it might be worth buying a tri-band phone for European use, assuming you can buy them in the US. This would also work in other places such as Australia-I know my phone works there. On a recent trip to Colorado and Arizona I found my phone worked OK in cities, but quite often there was no reception in more remote places. In most of Europe the GSM system covers everywhere, though there are blank spots occasionally, in very limited areas. Usually you only have to go a mile or two, perhaps gain a bit of height, and it comes in again.

First answer by Steve. Last edit by Knapp1. Contributor trust: 98 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 222 [recommend question]